Dust shrouds have become more commonly used for multiple purposes. Angle grinders, for example, are commonly used for grinding cement or other similar tasks. Without a dust shroud, debris is scattered over a wide area. It is desirable to contain the dust which is created for several reasons. It is desirable to contain the dust and debris to keep the workplace cleaner and to minimize the time necessary to clean up afterwards. Fine dust is often created while grinding cement or removing paint, for example, and that dust spreads over a large distance and can be quite difficult to clean up afterwards. It is also desirable to contain the dust and debris to keep the same from getting into the tool itself, causing premature failure of the bearings, motor, etc. Additionally, debris such as concrete dust or paint often poses a health risk to the machine operator and others who may breathe it. It is thus desirable to collect the dust to minimize any exposure to the dust.
One difficulty in providing dust shrouds is the fact that each particular tool will have different mounting requirements. For angle grinders, each grinder will typically have an output shaft housing which is concentric to the output shaft. The housing is typically used to attach the grinding disk guard, and may be used to mount a dust shroud to the grinder. For each grinder, however, the housing may be a different diameter and may be a different height or distance from the grinding disk. As such, the dust shroud must accommodate the particular output housing diameter and height of the desired tool. Another difficulty in providing dust shrouds is in providing a dust shroud which does not overly interfere with the use of the grinder itself.
It is thus appreciated that the requirements for a dust shroud varies according to the particular angle grinder with which the dust shroud is being used. Many stores, however, do not wish to stock many different models of dust shrouds. It is similarly not desirable for a manufacturer to make many different models of dust shrouds, as it increases the tooling and production costs. Individual consumers do not wish to special order a dust shroud and wait for weeks for it to arrive. There is thus a need for universal dust shrouds which allow a single shroud to be used with many different brands of tools while still performing properly. Such a universal dust shroud should safely and securely mount to a wide variety of angle grinders while effectively collecting dust and debris and without interfering with the use of the angle grinder.
Additionally, many persons who use an angle grinder for home repairs or projects often do not fully appreciate the importance of using a dust shroud, and do not desire to spend a significant amount of money on a dust shroud. Thus, while some sophisticated grinder dust shrouds are being developed, these are typically of sufficient expense that a person such as a hobbyist would not purchase the dust shroud. It is thus desirable to provide a simple dust shroud which meets the above criteria of being effective and universally adaptable to different grinders while also being simple and inexpensive so as to not dissuade a hobbyist or home owner from purchasing and using the dust shroud. Making a single simple dust shroud which will fit a large number of different angle grinders helps to reduce the manufacturing costs and allows the shroud to be inexpensive, encouraging people to use the shroud.